Recently, the Delhi High Court issued a directive mandating the e-submission of pleadings, documents, and interim applications in civil jurisdiction and criminal complaint cases across all district courts in the national capital.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora has ordered the implementation of the "centralized filing system" for filings associated with ongoing and pending cases across all District Courts.

On January 4th, the court issued a comprehensive set of directives aimed at bolstering e-filing procedures and initiating the digitization of records for both current and concluded cases across all district courts.The court instructed its Registrar General to take necessary measures to expand the compulsory e-filing system to encompass all outstanding civil jurisdictions and criminal complaint cases within the District Courts.

This extension aligns with the e-filing rules of the High Court of Delhi, 2021. As of now, within the District Courts, mandatory e-filing is limited to suits and applications concerning commercial disputes, complaints pursuant to Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, as well as all appeals and revisions.

The court additionally formed a committee tasked with overseeing the systematic elimination of records across all District Courts. This committee will work in collaboration with the respective principal district and session judges to complete this process within a timeframe of two weeks.

The court mandated that all district courts submit a quarterly report for the initial quarter of 2024 to the Registrar General's office of the High Court. This report is scheduled for submission and review no later than April 15th, enabling ongoing monitoring and assessment.

The bench emphasized the significance of fortifying the e-filing process within Delhi's district judiciary, noting that making e-filing compulsory for the outstanding Civil jurisdictions and criminal complaint cases in the district courts would be beneficial for all stakeholders involved.

The court was handling a public interest litigation addressing the absence of a standardized procedure for acknowledging pleadings, documents, and applications filed within the district courts of Delhi.

Counsel for Petitioner: Mr. Sahil Ralli, Advocate

Counsel for Respondents: Mrs. Avnish Ahlawat, SC, GNCTD, with Mr. N.K. Singh, Ms. Laavanya Kaushik and Ms. Aliza Alam, Advocates for respondents No.1 to 11; Ms. Shubham Mahajan, Advocate for respondent No. 12; Mr. Abhilash Malhotra, Joint Registrar (Judicial)(Central Project Coordinator) High Court of Delhi

Case Title: KARAN S THUKRAL v. THE DISTRICT & SESSIONS JUDGE & ORS